You have to wonder what they’re afraid of.

Word from Nashville on Monday was that the First National Tea Party Convention next month will be closed to the press, other than for a limited number of “selected” journalists. No word on who or how many.

This from the people who brought us last summer’s media-saturated Town Hall meetings.

The restrictions apparently apply to the much-anticipated speeches by Sarah Palin and Minnesota’s own Michele Bachmann.

Organizers say that journalists without passes will not be allowed into the convention at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. (A Star Tribune request for a pass was denied, the paper’s interest in covering its home-state congresswoman notwithstanding).

Convention spokesman Judson Phillips informs us that most of the sessions are closed “at the request” of the presenters. “Given the media interest, I don’t want the sessions disrupted and overrun with the media,” he said.

This convention is shaping up to be quite a debacle, with a minimum ticket price of $349. And Redstate spokesman Erick Erickson is actually criticizing Sarah Palin for giving a speech at TeaBag 2010 for which she’ll reportedly be paid $100,000.

These “grassroots” events are getting more and more expensive.